Day 89 ~ EMERGENCY!

This morning, I received a frantic call from Rachael at school. I won't name names...but one of her friends got caught in the downpour we had earlier and her (naturally curly) hair has become a wild and kinky mess! Rachael was hoping that she had left one of her electric hair straighteners at our house and that I could bring it to her at school...unfortunately, it was not here and her friend was left to deal with her mass of curls. Now, if only all emergencies were that urgent!

Day 90 ~ waiting to be stamped...

...and then they will be dropped off at the post office. As these projects are reaching their completion, it's kind of difficult to "let them go" - the gown is waiting for its storage box & the invitations are finished. Although I have two more dresses to make, the major projects are now done.

Day 91 ~ the calligrapher at work!

Thank you, Sharon, for helping to make the invitations look even more special!

Day 92 ~ 1, 2, 3, fold, fold, stick...

Once I found my rhythm, I got the invitations done pretty quickly...1) Direction card 2) Response postcard 3) Invitation...Place on vellum paper...Fold...Fold...Stick on the leaf sticker...DONE! Tomorrow, Sharon is coming over to address the envelopes. I can put them aside for a week or so and then mail them around the 10th so they will arrive in mailboxes by Valentine's Day...

Day 93 ~ TGIF

It's been a long week...but I have to get my mind in gear to start this mountain of proofreading sitting on the dining room table. Yes...I must do that! And I will! (tomorrow)

Day 94 ~ the kindness of friends...

My dad always said that to do a good job, you have to have the right tools. I think that the trick is to have friends who have the right tools! First, my friend, Bernadette, offered her dress form to help in the gown-making process...and I don't know how I could have made a wedding gown if I did not have Dee Dee! And then another friend, Sharon, offered her skills of calligraphy to address the invitation envelopes. She'll be coming over soon to apply her artistic talent (and relax for a few hours, too!). Thank you ladies! I appreciate everything you have offered to make this wedding come together!

All finished!

Close-up of front

Well, I am finished with the gown (except for the final pressing, which I will do before I bring it up to Jacquie in March)...and I am a bit sad

: (

These pictures will be the last you will see the gown before you see Jacquie in it!

Close-up of back
Close-up of hem
Full-length - front
Full-length - back

So....that's it for the gown...next on the schedule are the invitations and then Stacey's dress, but I also have a 500+ page proofreading project coming tomorrow so don't expect a whole lot of wedding stuff going on! I will still be counting down the days...so check back - you won't want to miss anything! Thanks to all who log on every day to see what I've been doing...I really appreciate your words of support!

Day 95 ~ Finishing up Step II

I've made it about three-quarters of the way around the hem with the satin edging...expect to finish it this afternoon. Step III will be the hemming of the lining; Step IV is the pressing. I see the end in sight, although there is some handstitching inside the bodice that still needs to be completed. Then it's on to the invitation printing & assembly. I also need to locate (or make myself) a box that is large enough to transport this dress (I can't easily hang it since it doesn't have any shoulders!!). Any suggestions where I can find a box about 25" high x 60" long?

Day 96 ~ Invitation preview...

Sorry - this one is a little out of focus

Day 97 ~ Step II

Attaching the satin edging to the bottom of the organza has begun. This is proving to be a lengthy and tedious process...I have to make sure that all layers are the same length!

On another note - I spoke to Jacquie today. They have 'approved' the invitation so I can think about getting the printing process started. We are on schedule! Stay tuned!

Day 98 ~ Hemming...Step I

(Don't worry! The light is really not touching the dress...

it's just an optical illusion.)

Problem: How can I hem a floor-length dress but avoid sitting on the floor and stressing out my back for 3 or 4 hours? Solution: Elevate Dee Dee to new heights! Yes, we brought Dee Dee downstairs and she stands proudly on the dining room table. Now I can easily turn the edge under and hand-stitch and be able to see the drape of the fabric. The satin layer of the skirt is hemmed and the organza layer is trimmed. Tomorrow is Step II - make the satin strip of fabric that will be sewn to the bottom edge of the organza layer.

Day 99 ~ lounging around the house...

So....do you want to know why Caleb is wearing his sister's slippers? It really doesn't matter...you don't have to know why. Rachael grabbed the camera when the opportunity presented itself and was able to take the picture before Caleb could stop her. Priceless!

Day 100 ~ DAY 100!

Jacquie called me this morning & we chatted about things: they went to listen to the young man they chose to play the piano at the reception (they were very pleased with the "in-person" performance); they are considering trying Land's End to locate pants for Dave & Josh (they aren't having much luck locating charcoal grey pants that are alterable); they went for a hike yesterday on their day off...Jacquie continues on describing their hike and detailing the exciting river-crossing. Yes, river-crossing. She said that all of the snow has melted in their area but it was icy and slippery near the water, which was running high on its banks due to the rain they had recently. She goes on to describe the big log that had fallen over the water and their decision to use it to cross the river (I am using the term 'river' loosely here since I am not sure exactly how wide this body of water was...). As she was talking about the ice-covered log, the icicles that were hanging from it, the freezing temperature of the water, how Dan went first on his belly and pulled himself across using the protruding branches, how it wasn't as scary doing it as it looked...but it was like "pulling yourself across a frozen popsicle"...all I could picture was my daughter falling from this glazed log into the icy depths of the rushing water, breaking an arm or a leg or - at the very least - bruising and bashing herself on the rocks...
I said, "Jacquie - just remember that you will be wearing a sleeveless, strapless dress in three and a half months and you don't want to be (a) wearing a cast on your arm or (b) sporting a lovely array of bruises on your arms. She was silent for a few seconds and then said "Oh. Yeah. OK. Oh...but I'll be careful, Mom!" OK Jac...please do!

I found shoes...again!

Remember when I said that I found the shoes that I was going to wear to the wedding? You must have thought..."that's kind of dumb to get shoes before she figures out what she's wearing..." Yes, that was dumb! As you know, I found fabric that I wanted for my dress and it did not go with the biege shoes I bought (although they are cute shoes!). Today, I was at T.J. Maxx and I found these great little suede flats. I decided that I really had to get flats to wear since we'll be outside and traipsing (yes, that is a word...go look it up!) up & down hills, etc. And they were only $8! What a deal! Better than getting ballet-style shoes dyed to match for $40! These will do nicely...

Day 101 ~ only 101 things on my list...

Take note of the number of days before the wedding - tomorrow is day 100. I can't believe it! Although I feel good about what we have accomplished in the past 100 days (I started this blog at day 200, remember?), I feel a little panicky right now. I know everything will get done, but - yikes!

Day 102 ~ the anatomy of an orange

Stacey called me today to chat & the conversation eventually turned to the wedding...and her dress. "Have you started it yet, Mom??" she asked. "No, not yet..." I said. "Would you like my measurements, Mom?" (Umm...do you think she has been reading this blog?) "Yes, Stacey, I'd love to have your measurements." I then gave her specific instructions on what I needed, the first of which was the measurement of her waist. "Where exactly is my waist, Mom? At my hips?" I closed my eyes...and tried hard not to exclaim..."No...NO! Your waist is not your hips! Does that make any sense?" Instead I said, "No, dear, your waist is where the top of your pants are....no wait, that's not right...your pants are below your waist..." Then my clever Stacey asks "Is my waist where my belly button is?" "Yes, yes! Your belly button! That's where your waist is!"
And then later on this evening, when Steve & I were driving Rachael home, we start talking about the oranges she had been eating - the navel oranges I bought this afternoon for her. Steve asks if they were good, sweet, etc. She said yes, they were good - and no seeds, as all navel oranges should be. Steve asks "Rachael, do you know why they are called navel oranges?" She says "DUH, DAD!" (Ok, she really didn't say that but I heard her think it!) "Because they have belly buttons..." This whole conversation prompted our question: How does the navel orange reproduce if it doesn't have seeds?? Well, according to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navel_orange): "A single mutation in 1820 in an orchard of sweet oranges planted at a monastary in Brazil led to the navel orange. The mutation causes a 'twin' fruit, with a smaller orange embedded in the outer fruit opposite the stem. From the outside, the smaller, undeveloped twin leaves a formation at the top of the fruit, looking similar to the human navel. Navel oranges are almost always seedless, and tend to be larger than other sweet oranges. They are produced without pollination through parthenocarpy." (What is parthenocarpy? See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenocarpy.) And you never thought you'd learn something new about oranges, did you?

Day 103 ~ It's in the mail...

Today I assembled the invitation and mailed it out to J & D for their approval...this in the sketch I did of Newfound Lake - which I copied onto vellum paper to attach to the front cover. With the paper that Stacey brought from Egypt (which looks kind of like birch bark), it makes a unique and interesting card. Will wait to see what they say...

Day 104 ~ back to classes

Caleb returned to college today. No more play station...no more sleeping 'til noon...no more complaining about telemarketers calling and waking him up during the day...no more lounging around in pjs...no more! It's time for 8 AM classes and getting the brain in gear! Good luck, Caleb! Hope you have another great semester!

Day 105 ~ the day the dishwasher died...

a woman's work is never done...

Day 106 ~ "all I needed was a glass of wine..."

Chicken parmesan was on the menu tonight so I opened a bottle of merlot - and by the time dinner was over, I was feeling quite creative (don't ask why!). So I dug out my sketch pad & pencils and sat down with the photos of Berea to work on the sketch for the wedding invitation cover. I finished it, held it up for Steve's approval and decided that it was acceptable. A copy will be going to Jacquie & Dan for their ok this week...(at least that is done!).

Day 107 ~ roasting & toasting

Tonight was the retirement dinner for the warden who left last month...and it was an evening full of good-natured fun and heart-felt sentiment. Steve got a lot of attention - people were congratulating him on his new job as well as commenting on how great he looks in his new haircut! It was a great evening...

Day 108 ~ this is what you really wanted...

Jacquie - this is the original idea you had...with the three bows. Although I told you last night that I didn't think I could make them smaller, I did! It took me two hours of "CSI Miami" and "CSI" and a half hour of "Without a Trace" to hand stitch these little guys together...but I did it! Are they ok? Let me know...

Day 109 ~ Dear Jacquie...do you want two bows or three?

This is the picture (above) that Jacquie gave me a few months ago to show me how she wanted the back of her dress - she liked the three-bow effect at the waist. "No problem," I said.

This afternoon, I started on the bows...and came up with this (below). I just called her (she actually had her phone with her & she answered!!) - I told her that I can still do three bows, if she wants...just email me & let me know what you think, Jac. I can make them smaller, bigger, whatever you want...this is your dress - your day!

UPDATE: Jacquie requests that the bows be made a little smaller (shorter) & two bows are fine...you got it, hon!

Day 110 ~ It's ingenious!

The slip is hemmed.

Whoever invented this contraption known as a dress form was an absolute genius! And to make it adjustable both in the width of the body and the height??!?!? I'll say it again...absolute genius! When I was a kid and my mom made a skirt for me, she insisted that I put on the new garment and climb up on the kitchen table so she could pin it at the right height so she could hem it. Today when I started the hemming project for the gown, I removed the gown and the slip from Dee Dee and turned her upside-down. I was looking for a way to make her taller - a LOT taller! And, with a turn of a nut and a slide up her skinny spine pole, she was almost six feet tall! OK! That's more like it! I was able to very easily cut the excess fabric from the bottom of both the slip and the gown without worrying about it dragging on the floor...So! that job is complete! The slip is cut & hemmed and the gown is cut to the correct length. One more step closer to a finished product.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: What was the length of the strip of fabric cut from the bottom of the skirt? (see answer below...)

ANSWER: 21 feet!!!

Day 111 ~ Under cover...

Remember when I told you about the new mixer and my concern about it sitting on my counter collecting dust (and the grease and grime that appears on everything in the kitchen)? Well, I remembered my mom's kitchen - she had a "dust cover" for her mixer (although I think it was a sporty, flowered one made of plastic!). I started looking around for appliance covers and was dismayed to see how expensive they were...and there was no guarantee of proper fit or my choice of color. Phooey! So off I trot to Joanne Fabric, where they had quilted fabric on sale ($2 a yd.). I buy a yard and a half (I have a bunch left over) and some light green piping. Here is the result...I don't have to look at a mixer all the time and it stays clean!

Day 112 ~ to disassemble the tree...

One of the saddest moments of the holiday is when the Christmas decorations come down, are boxed up, and taken up to the attic. It happened today...the tree was folded up and packed into its box, the decorations were tucked into their box, the stockings were emptied, and the nativity set was wrapped up and put back in its box. Christmas is consolidated into 6 boxes...but the memories of our 2005 holiday lingers on...

Day 113 ~ All work and no play...

I spent the entire day today proofreading...and listening to life happening in the other rooms of the house. It's funny to listen to things going on when your family knows they had better not interrupt you when you have a deadline...and it's funny when they talk about you like you're not there...but I can still hear them. The good news is that this job is finished and I can devote the entire day tomorrow taking down the Christmas tree and putting away the decorations...for another year.

Day 114 ~ will it ever end?!?!?

You know how it can be! Some things just seem to take forever to complete! Today, for example, is the day I print, collate and staple the Sunday church bulletins at work. Well, that job never seemed even close to completion! If it wasn't the normal interruption of the telephone, it was the online ordering for office supplies that took forever...and then it was the inevitable last-minute project from the pastor! Well, I finally made it out of the church at 3:15...and I ran to the grocery store to pick up taco & fajita ingredients for dinner...only to meet Berni, my co-worker at the church at the check-out line! Got home, got dinner around so that it's ready for the kids when they get here...and I turn to the dining room table where my proofreading job is waiting for me - another job that never seems to end! Come on now! I have much more important things to do....like hemming a gown, doing the sketch for the invitations, printing and assembling the invitations, making Stacey's dress, my dress!!! I do have my priorities!

Day 115 ~ the very merry bakers of St. Mark's!

Working at a church has its distinct advan-
tages...the best one of all is the quality of the food that appears in the kitchen, which is right down the hall from my office. Once a month, we have a pot-luck "Lunch 'N' Fellowship" and, for the holidays, we had a tin of Shirley's home-made peanut brittle tempting us. Today, we had to work for our treats! Katy, the pastor's daughter, taught a group of us how to made bread...and it was quite a morning! We had water & flour on the floor at one point but we produced quite a selection of tasty breads. Pictured are: Katy, Jane A., Bernadette, Henrietta, Elsie, Ernestine, Jane L. and me. (And thanks, Katy, for the stylish aprons!)

Day 116 ~ a glimpse of Stacey's Egypt

Stacey is finally finding some spare time to post more of her Egypt photos on her Webshots site: (http://community.webshots.com/user/bluemist38) - you can check them out there... Here is a photo of Stacey with "Sheddie, a little arab teddy bear" (he is a cutie, Stacey!) - one of the kids at an orphanage preschool where she did her service project.

Day 117

Oh, my! It was quite a struggle to get out of bed this morning after a couple days of sleeping in until ten (or at least staying in bed until then!). Caleb, on the other hand, can sleep in for another two weeks...he goes back to school on the 16th.

Day 118

One of the advantages of having children who travel the world is being the recipient of wonderful and unusual gifts. Stacey brought this alabaster vase to us from the street markets of Cairo. Isn't it beautiful? It is translucent - the light can penetrate it - and the texture on the outside is smooth and feels somewhat like a bar of soap but leaves no residue on your hands. Just another treasure from one of my treasures...Stacey.

Day 119

In exactly four months, my oldest will be married, I will be a mother-in-law, and I will have exactly one month to get ready for the next celebration - my baby boy's high school graduation. What a year this is going to be!